This invention relates generally to an inexpensive device which may be applied to standard cartons to reclose the cartons after they have initially been opened, so that the contents are protected against odor, dust, dirt, or other contaminants, and against spillage of the contents.
In recent years, the packaging materials for milk, fruit juices, and many other materials have changed from glass or plastic containers to heavy paper or cardboard cartons, particularly for half gallon sizes or less. These cartons have gable tops, are often wax impregnated or wax coated, and multi-layered strips at the top of the carton which are heat sealed together to close the carton. By prying apart the strips at one side of the carton, a pouring spout is formed to enable easy dispensing of the contents of the carton.
After the dispensing of the desired amount of contents, the spout may then be folded back inward. However, the closure is now imperfect since the heat seal on the pried portion of the strip has been broken and the various layers of the strip are no longer in close contact with each other. Thus the contents of the carton are subject to contamination by moisture, odors, dust, dirt and the like. Further the contents of the carton are subject to spillage.
This invention provides an inexpensive, easily applied, means for closing and protecting the contents of cartons after they have been initially opened. A flanged cap is placed over the strips at the top of the carton, which have been pried apart to allow for dispensing of the contents of the carton. The interior surfaces of the cap, defining a longitudinal slot, press the layers of the strips together to close the carton and protect its contents. It can be applied to any standard carton of the type described above and is easily removed when the user wishes to dispense part of the contents of the carton and when the carton is empty and ready for disposal by the user. Thus one or two of these devices may serve a household, and may be used and reused ad infinitum.
Further, the device may be dimensioned to fit any standard size carton, i.e., one pint, one quart, one-half gallon, etc. For larger cartons, such as one-half gallon sizes, holders are often used to supply a handle for ease of dispensing of the contents. The invention may also comprise such a holder for the carton, with a top portion for supplying the closure either as a separate element which snaps on to the holder, or as an element hinged to the holder which can be opened or closed to supply the closure.
Previous devices for the closure of gable types of cartons have been incorporated in the carton design and have been manufactured and supplied with the carton. Blunsdon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,771 shows a closure device wherein the container includes a flap which folds over one of the top strips of the container with a spring clip inserted over the flap to provide the closure.
Ringler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,336,503 teaches a gable or bellows container sliding closure comprised of a slotted closure member which slides over the top strip of the container. Again in this case the containers are specifically designed to incorporate the closure mechanism, and the closure element is supplied with the container when the container is manufactured.
A closure device for a flat top box is shown by Burgener, U.S. Pat. No. 2,030,134. It is employed where the contents are removed from the box by punching holes or perforations in the top of the box.
It has been further suggested in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,381,883; 3,458,110 and 3,463,380 to employ clip-type devices which basically have to be slipped onto or about the outer surfaces of the strips which define the opening in the gable top of the carton. A similar clip-type device is shown in Jackson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,967 wherein the clip is pivotally secured to the strips of the carton.
All of the foregoing problems were solved with prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,961, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, issued Mar. 3, 1987, of the present inventor. In the most simple aspect of the closure device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,961 there was provided a closure device which comprised a flanged cap with a pair of inner surfaces defining a longitudinal slot. Such closure device further included inclined side walls extending from the flanged cap and adapted to make a snug fit with the cap top, with there being front and rear walls extending downwardly from the flanged cap. In this device, the strips of the gable top carton were guided the slot. Also in the device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,961, the front and rear walls extended between the inclined side walls, and there was a pair of skirts which extended from the lower edge of each of the inclined side walls and spanned the lower portions of the front and rear walls.
The closure device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,961 has worked well. It need only be applied to the gable top without any special guidance or special manipulation. However, the present inventor has recognized a need to eliminate a considerable portion of the plastic used in a closure device as well as to facilitate the gripping of a closure device from the end walls in lieu of or supplementary with grasping of the closure device along the top section or flanged cap or tab.
Except for the closure device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,961, none of the above devices or others previously designed allow for a continuously reusable closure for cartons with gable tops. The instant device may be used with all standard types of containers and does not require any special container designs. Previous designs do not obtain closure by enclosing the strips at the top of the carton, which were previously pried apart, within a longitudinal slot in a cap placed on the carton. Further, previously designed closure devices do not incorporate a section for holding and ease of handling larger cartons.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the general object of the invention to provide a closure device for cartons with gable tops which protects the contents of the carton from contamination or spillage after the carton has been opened, and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the invention to provide a closure device for standard sized, commercially available, cartons with gable tops.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a closure device for cartons with gable tops which is easily applied and removed from the cartons.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a closure device for cartons with gable tops which is reusable and may be further applied to cartons, after the carton in use has been disposed of, for an extended period of time.
It is still yet a further object of this invention to provide a closure device for cartons with gable tops which incorporates a holder for the carton with a handle to enable ease of handling and dispensing of the contents of the carton.
Finally, another object of the invention is to provide a modified reusable closure device for cartons for gable tops which utilized minimal amounts of plastic.